Twum Djin, Goodwater Capital - Twum is the Chief Technology Officer at Goodwater Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on consumer tech companies. He heads the firm's technology strategy, and works with Goodwater's portfolio of companies. Prior to Goodwater, Djin was an engineer at Google for 8 years.

Josh Ghaim, Ph.D.,CTO, Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer - Josh is responsible for global research and development organization for the consumer group. He is also a member of the Consumer Group Operating Committee and the Johnson & Johnson Research & Development Management Committee.

Hugh Molotsi,Investor; Founder and CEO, Ujama - Hugh Molotsiis the founder and CEO ofUjama, a mobile platform to help parents form communities to help each other. Hugh also advises and invests in startups and is an active practitioner and teacher of Lean Startup Methodologies. In 2015, Hugh concluded a 22-year career at Intuit as Engineering Fellow and Vice President of Innovation.

Almaz Negash,Founder of ADN & Executive Director -Almaz began ADN in 2010 to inform and engage Africans in the Diaspora and facilitate direct collaboration with social entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders to invest in Africa. For the last two decades, Negash has sought to improve the quality of life of our communities through both local and global partnerships.

Dr. Liesl Riddle,Associate Professor of Int’l Business and Int’l Affairs, George Washington University - Leisl is also the co-director of GWSB’s OntheBoard program, a fellowship program designed to promote women on corporate boards. Dr. Riddle has written extensively about diasporas and development, international entrepreneurship, and trade and investment promotion.

Innocent Shumba,Partner, Ernst & Young, San Jose - Innocent Shumba is a member of EY’s Assurance practice and has diverse accounting and auditing experience. He is involved in several organizations, including the EY Black Professional Network, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Certified Fraud Examiners, Institute of Internal Auditors and the National Association of Black Accountants.

OUR ADN STAFF

Almaz Negash,Founder of ADN & Executive Director - Almaz began ADN in 2010 to inform and engage Africans in the Diaspora and facilitate direct collaboration with social entrepreneurs, innovators, and business leaders to invest in Africa. Negash has sought to improve the quality of life of our communities through both local and global partnerships. Almaz Negash Bio - 2017

Daniel Hartz, Envoy, Inc. - Dan is a Product Specialist at Envoy, Inc. He is a founding board member of African Diaspora Network and former Director of Finance and Operations. He now helps to develop and implement strategic initiatives. Prior to joining Envoy, Dan was senior manager of Golden Mean Capital Partners, a group focused on economic development in African agriculture.

Ghirmai Tekeste,Sr. IT Business/Systems Analyst, Gilead Sciences - As a Technical Project Manager Ghirmai led in building the ADN online platform, as well as in the implementations of technology. He comes with extensive background managing projects in Software Development and Information Security Solutions.

Debra Pacio,Content Developer & Storyteller- Debra is a freelance writer and editor for nonprofit and cultural organizations. She has supported marketing, communications, and content development for ADN since 2015. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Education from Stanford University.

Yinka Djin,Information Technology Associate- Yinka is the CEO and creative director for Blue Wave Media, a multi-media production company. Prior to that, she worked in Vancouver, British Columbia for fifteen years in various capacities: a freelance web developer and video editor as well as a media content specialist for Post Time Technologies.

OUR EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL

Kedest Tesfagiorgis, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Kedest Tesfagiorgis is a Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is part of the Discovery & Translational Sciences team focused on the Grand Challenges program, a program aiming to solve global health and development challenges. She serves as an Advisor to the foundation’s Africa team on health research and pan-African initiatives.

Kamran Elahian,Founder and Chairman, Global Innovation Catalyst, LLC - As an Innovation Catalyst, Kamran advises various governments on the needed transition from fossil based economies to sustainable innovation economies. In the past, as a global high-tech entrepreneur, he cofounded ten companies, produced 6 exits, 3 of them Unicorn IPOs with a total market cap of over $8B.

Mussie Haile,Founder and CEO of Moya Technologies, Inc. - Mussie is a seasoned technologist with over 20-year of experience including but not limited to Cyber Security, enterprise architecture, identity management, service-oriented architecture and cross-domain security solutions. Mr. Haile is also the founder and CEO of RevoltCypher LLC., a Blockchain platform & services company

Dr. Martin Russel -Martin completed his PhD on Diaspora Engagement at the Clinton Institute where he remains an affiliate. He was previously a visiting fellow at UNU-MERIT and Associate Director of Diaspora Matters. He has trained, spoken, and written on diaspora engagement in Africa, Caribbean, Central Asia, Central and Latin America, Europe, Middle East, UK and the US.

Duncan Goldie-Scot, Musoni Kenya Ltd. - Duncan is the Chairman of Musoni Kenya, Ltd. As an entrepreneur and investo, he has been investing in startup companies in Africa for more than ten years and pioneered the use of mobile payments in micro-finance institutions (MFIs). He co-founded the first 100% cashless MFI and created a company to create credit profiles using mobile data.

Dr. Ade Freeman, World Bank - Ade is the Lead Specialist in Trade and Competitiveness, Global Practice at the World Bank, where he is responsible for lending operations, analytical and advisory activities, and policy dialogue on issues related to private sector and SME development, value chains, and spatial strategies such as growth poles, growth corridors, and special economic zones.

Zekarias Amsalu,IBEX Frontier/Financial Consultancy Ltd. -Zekarias is the Founder & MD of IBEX Frontier / Financial Consultancy Ltd, with presence in Washington DC USA, London UK and Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Zekarias has been at the forefront of providing exposure of the emerging Tech sector in Ethiopia starting from coining the term ‘Sheba Valley for Ethiopia’s tech space.

Radhika Shah,Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs - Radhika is an Angel & Impact investor from Silicon Valley and Co-President at Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs a community of over 1100 entrepreneurial Stanford students, faculty and alumni. She has been an advisor, mentor, co-convener & judge at Innovation Accelerators Startx & Skydeck Labs, US SBA and UN Solutions Summit.

Serge Ouedraogo,Director of Special Projects -Serge is a seasoned financial analyst who advises business executives on strategic investments that maximize financial returns. He brings an extensive background in financial modeling and best practices for budgeting and financial reporting.

Jenna O’Brien,Watson Institute - Jenna serves as the Vice President/Director of Programs at Watson Institute in Boulder, Colorado, a new learning model tailored for next-generation innovators, leaders, and social entrepreneurs. Before joining Watson, Jenna served as a Project Manager for IDP Foundation, focusing on the development and implementation of their social enterprise strategy.

OUR EMERITUS BOARD

Prof. Mammo Muchie, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria - Professor Muchie holds a DPhil in Science, Technology, and Innovation for Development (STI4D) from the University of Sussex. He is currently a DST/NRF Research Professor of Innovation Studies at Tshwane University of Technology.

Chris Folayan,Founder MallforAfrica & MallfortheWorld - Chris runs an award-winning global e-commerce company that enables Africans and people in emerging markets purchase billions of products from over 200 of the best US and UK online retailers. Folayan also sits on several boards globally and previously served as Chairman of the Board of the African Diaspora Network from 2016-2018.

LauraHubbard, PhD, Center for African Studies, Stanford University -Laura is an anthropologist of youth, media and popular culture. She has lived and worked in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa focusing on questions of aesthetics and politics, temporality and youth culture, the links of longing and belonging among southern African cities, and the nexus of media and development.

ANNOUCEMENTS

MASTERCLASS

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